Portable breathing apparatus.



A. B. DR'A'GER. PORTABLE BREATHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 6, 1910.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. B. DRKGER.

PORTABLE BREATHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 6,1910.

1,005,816,- I Patented Oct. 17,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PA '1ENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER BEENHARD DRAGER, or tiBEcK, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM or DBAGERWEEK HEINR. UND BERNIE-I. DRAGER, 0E Lt'IBEoK, GERMANY.

PORTABLE BREATHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1'7, 1911.

Application filed December 6, 1910. Serial No. 595,864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known hat I, ALEXANDER BERNHARD DRZiGER, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Liibeck, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Breathing Apparatus, of which the following is a specificatlon. With portable breathing or so-called lifesaving apparatus it was hitherto necessary to exchange the consumed cartridges serving to absorb the exhaled carbonic acld, such as so-called potash cartridges; for new ones, outside of the range .of the poisonous gases, as the air-passa es would be opened by the unscrewing ofthe consumed cartridges and remain open until the fresh cartridges were introduced, so that if, the cartridges were exchanged within the range of the poisonous gases, noxious air could enter into the cir-' culatory system of the" apparatus, be itthrough the circulatory suction nozzle, or through the inhaling action of the lungs.-

The latter would be the more dangerous, as the unscrewing and refitting of the car tridges hitherto caused a very considerable loss of time. The disadvantages of this necessity of exchanging the cartridges out side of the range of the poisonous gases result in a necessity of temporarily suspending the operations at the polnt of work, and a certain fear of the wearer, that his apparatus may fail on the generally long and dangerous return road in consequence of the cartridges becoming exhausted. A further disadvantage is that it is necessary to make the cartridges very lar e -so as to obtain as long a life of the cartri ges' as possible not interrupted by an exchange of the same, whereby again the weightof the apparatus was unfavorably increased.

- The present invention is adapted to -:b\'l ate all the hereinbefore described (lisad vantages by back stroke valves being provided in the air circulation pipes, which will, on the cartridges being introduced, be automatically opened by the engagement of suitably provlded projections, whereas the valves will automatically close immediately as soon as the cartridges are removed.

In the accompanying drawing the present invention is exemplified.

Figure 1 is a full view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a part section along a central vertical line through the connection piece with the valve closed and the cartridge removed. Fi 3 is a corresponding section with the va ve opened and the cartridge introduced.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the connection piece with valve. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the lower end of the cartridge seen from below. Figs. 6-10 show similar views of a modification.

In Fig. 1 in the accompanying drawing a portable breathing apparatus is shown. a is the suction nozzle supplying the air-circulation, which nozzle is fed from the oxygen cylinder 6 fitted with the pressure reducing valve 0, g is a mouth piece, from which the exhaled air, containing carbonic acid, passes through the hose IL and pipe 11 into the puritying cartridge K. Z is an air receptacle and e is a hose through which the purified air saturated with oxygen aspirated through the suction nozzle a passes to a breathing sack f and the mouth-piece 9, so that a constant circulation of the breathing air is obtained.

For allowing of rapidly, and safely exchanging the cartridge within the range of the-poisonous gases, without the poisonous gases bein mixed with the. breathing air during suc exchange, the air passages in the apparatus formingthe communication with the cartridge are closed toward outside by such exchange of the cartridge and during such exchange in an automatic manner. Figs. 2-5 in the drawing illustrate this in a first constructional form.

In the upper and lower air conducting pipes i and Z (Fig. 1) are provided valve cones 111 each having a fin n. 'lhoso valve cones are acted upon by springs constantly pressing the same against their respective seats to shut off the intorior of the appa ratns against the outside air. Each valve cone is surrounded by a casing which is provided with lateral openings to unnmunicate with a closed chamber (not shown) that in its turn communicates with the respective air conducting pipe. The fin n provided on the valve cone will be depressed on the cartridge being introduced by a web p on the said cartridge, which webs project somewhat toward the center, so that the [valve cone is lifted and allows of the air passing through.

The mouth of the cartridge is preferably bent over toward inside, so as to form a hearing surface for producing a tight joint with an elastic jointing surface s. The tongues t which may be of a'cylindrical shape and long, project on two sides as deep as possible into the opening of the cartridge, in order to prevent the cartridge being unintentionally ejected.

For the purpose of allowing of a rapid unscrewing and refitting of the cartridges, which will, notwithstanding the air passages of the appara us being shut off, be desirable, with the object of interrupting the regeneration of the circulating air as little as possible, a lever gear 1 is provided, which will lift the tubular lever i on the cartridge being removed, and press it against the new cartridge when the latter is introduced. For the purpose of rendering the cartridges capable of withstanding axial pressures, the cartridge caps are preferably conically shaped.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 to 10 the connection piece consists of a metal I casing a, which has at the side a connec against any lateral displacement.

tion nipple b for the air circulation pipe 0' and terminates above in a chamber a? containing the jointing device. This chamber has in its center a lower valve seat f, which extends upward in form of a sleeve e. The valve cone g, which is pressed from below against its seat by means of a coiled spring h fitted over a stud on the bottom of the casing, is provided on its upper side with a finshaped pressure member a", which is guided in slots in sleeve 6 and projects slightly on both sides beyond the said sleeve, so that when the cartridge Z having a mouthpiece with a flange k bent over inwardly is fitted, the said mouthpiece will engage the fin-shaped member 2"of, said valve cone 9 and press it down. Thereby the mouthpiece of the cartridge will move over the sleeve e and is there guided safely In the terminal position, in which the valve cone g is completely opened, the flange k of the cartridge mouth will bear on a gasket m made of soft ebonite, leather or the like, which gasket is secured by means of a ring at to the chamber a and is supported by means of two Cardan rings 0 and 7) so as to immediately follow a tilting of the mouth of the cartridge. The cardanic support of these rings is obtained by their being provided each with two opposite projections 9 (Fig. 10), which are arranged in pairs at right angles to each other. These projections might be suitably arranged on the upper and lower surfaces respectively of the lower ring 0.

.I claim:

1. In a portable breathing or life saving apparatus, the combination with an inhaling attachment, of air circulating pipes, valves therein, an exchangeable air regenerating means between said pipes, and means on said first named means whereby by the fitting of the latter into position said valves are opened, and onthe removal thereof the latter are automatically closed.

2. In'a portable breathing or life saving apparatus, the combination with an inhaling attachment, of air circulating pipes having movable sections, valves insaid movable sections, an exchangeable air regenerating means between said movable sections of the pipes, means on said first named means whereby by the fitting of the latter into position said valves are opened, and means whereby the movable sections are pressed against said first named means.

3. In a portable breathing or life saving apparatus, the combination with an inhaling attachment, of air circulating pipes, an exchangeable. air regenerating cartridge arranged between the said circulating pipes, back stroke valves in the latter and pro ections on thesaid cartridge adapted to open ,the said valves on fitting the said cartridge into position. a

4c. In a portable breathing or life saving apparatus, the combination with an inhaling attachment, of air circulating pipes having movable sections, an exchangeable air regencrating cartridge arranged between the said movable sections of the pipes, back stroke valves in the said pipes, projections on the said cartridge adapted to open the said valves on the placing of the said cartridge into position and means for'pressing the movable sections of the pipes against the cartridge.

5. In a portable breathing or life saving apparatus, thecombination with an inhaling attachment, of air circulating pipes, spring actuated valves in said pipes, a cartridge containing a regenerating mediu1n exchangeably fitted between said pipes and formed with mouth pieces having inward projections, means on said valves adapted to engage into the said mouth pieces and acted upon by said projections, and means for guiding said valves.

6. In a portable breathing or life saving apparatus, the combination with an inhaling attachment, of air circulating pipes, back stroke valves in the said pipes, a cartridge containing a regenerating medium exchangeably fitted between said pipes and formed with mouth pieces havinginwerd In testimon whereof Iaflix my signature projections, means on said valves adapted in presence 0 two witnesses.

to engage the said mouth pieces and be acted upon by said rojections and cardanicallz ALEMDER BERNMD BERGER 5 supported as etson which the mout Witnesses:

pieces will ear when the cartridge is fit- HEINRICH DRKGER,

- 501m Wm ted into position. 

